Flying_Kiwi

Hi there everyone - I know there will be lots of suggestions and I welcome them all! We will be driving from Paris to Milan (leaving Paris 24th July) and would prefer to drive down through France as much as possible before we cross into Italy. Please suggest a lovely "un-touristy" town in France for us to stay one or two nights in. We were thinking Beaune or Dijon but after reading a couple of reports am thinking that perhaps there is something more "authentic". Have speech-marked "un-touristy" and "authentic" because although I want to see the real people and places I don't want it to be empty of life, so would like a couple of hotels/B&Bs, a few cafes, a busy town square, somewhere to relax after Paris but still not too boring....Thanks in advance.

Steve_James

Kiwi - When people have asked this before I've always recommended Annecy - a lovely lakeside town in the Alps.

But as you've said 'un-touristy' ... maybe not

Maybe one of the other less touristed mountain towns?

Steve

Flying_Kiwi

Thanks, Steve, I've never heard of Annecy before - I'll check it out ASAP.

cocofromdijon

"We were thinking Beaune or Dijon but after reading a couple of reports am thinking that perhaps there is something more "authentic". Do you mean the old buildings (XIIIc)), museums and churches are fake? Oh my god! someone lied to me!

Honestly only Disneyland, Parc Asterix and others parks like that are fake and we all know it. Nothing is fake in France! (I feel better now ;-) )

I reckon Beaune may be a little too touristic but Dijon has kept all its charms with authentic local people.
have you seen my pics?
http://tinyurl.com/okerl

Bon voyage!
coco

guaranteed

Did the same trip last summer-

Stopped just outside Geneva (NH Hotel in Meyrin to be exact) for 2 nights.. Took a half day trip to Annency, which was great, but I don't know if I would stay there in late July as it was really crowded. Geneva was worth a day.

If you continue southeast of Geneva (to Milan) it is a bit shorter. But it was a great day and we took the route around the north side of the lake to Laussane/Vevey and it was a real highlight.

G

hopscotch

I made that drive the other way, from Milan to Paris. At some small town between the Mont Blanc Tunnel and Dijon we pulled over in a medium sized town and had dinner, then found a motel further up the road. It's an easy drive. I would just amble about with Michelin maps and green guidebooks, and stop when you get hungry or tired. Keep the traditional French eating times in mind so you can get a seat before the locals fill up the restaurants.

Flying_Kiwi

Cocofromdijon, I think all travellers know what we mean when we say "authentic" - buildings, of course, are real, but if the locals you encounter are catering solely to the tourist trade it gives little chance to experience the real culture of a town/country - a bit like Monte Carlo - I loved the look of the town but the most I learned there was that, even though you are in a park and it is a hot summer's day, you can't sit on the grass! I guess I am one of those hypocritical tourists that hates being around tourists. Thanks for the link of photos - they are fantastic - love that one in Jardin Darcy. What a stunning looking town.
Guaranteed, thanks for that suggestion - we haven't seriously considered spending much time in Switzerland because we prefer to maximise our time in France.
Hopscotch, I think you might be right - maybe we can try 1 or 2 nights of "spontaneous" activity - a bit scary for a control freak but would probably be good for me!

Flying_Kiwi

Cocofromdijon, I'm still scrolling through your photo album - love that photo of the owl and pussycat - great shot!

cocofromdijon

Thank you FK!
you can see them on the roof of a very old house (maison Millière 1483) between Notre Dame and Hotel Vogüe(private mansion not hotel to sleep)).
Those houses were used for the film Cyrano de bergerac in 1990.

I see what you mean now by authentic. You may find of course some groups of tourists around the Ducal Palace.It reminds me of some guests who asked me if the people they could see in town were real locals or tourists, because all they could see in Strasbourg were tourists! Dijon also has a big university so you'll find lots of young people as well as the old typical "bourgeois de Dijon". ;-)

kerouac

I always recommend Annecy as well. Too bad the tourists love it, too. But I live in Paris, which the tourists love too much.

azandfl

We Stayed in Dijon in April and found it to be charming and not overly touristy. We stayed in a lovely apartment found at www.myhomeindijon.com. Enjoy your trip.

Underhill

Annecy is where we stopped--lovely town with canals, and right on the edge of a beautiful lake. Hard to beat! Another big advantage is that the weather doesn't usually get too hot in July.

ekscrunchy

Another vote for Annecy (scenery), although I think Dijon is spectacular from an architectural/historical and food/wine perspective.

Flying_Kiwi

Just a quick post to say that we stayed in Annecy for 3 nights and absolutely loved it, so a big thank you to those that recommended it. I will be more detailed soon. Just so you know, it is HOT, HOT, HOT in France and Italy at the moment!!